The Syracuse area chalked up the lowest July unemployment rate since 2008. Last month, unemployment was 6.4 percent, according to new numbers released by the state Department of Labor.

Unemployment in the region went down 4,300 people -- from 24,200 to 19,900 people.

The last time the region had a July where unemployment was that low was when it hit 5.4 percent in 2008.

In July 2013, unemployment had begun to trend down, but was still high at 7.5 percent.

The number is for the Syracuse region, which includes Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties. Statewide unemployment for July was 6.6 percent. Unemployment rates for the Syracuse counties: Madison: 6.2 percent; Onondaga: 6.2 percent; Oswego: 7.7 percent. Cayuga County's unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in July; Cortland County's rate was 6.8 percent.

The state's lowest unemployment in July was in Hamilton County, in the Adirondacks, where it was 3.9 percent.

The highest was in Bronx County, where unemployment was 11.2 percent.

While the Syracuse area's unemployment rate is trending down, the region is one of the few in the state to continue losing jobs. In July, the area lost 3,300 jobs while the rest of the state gained.

The number of people employed and the workforce also shrank over the year.The number of people employed went from 297,400 to 290,000, or 7,400 people.
The overall labor force, often an indicator of a region's economic strength, fell by 11,800 people. It went from 321,700 to 309,900.